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Luminaires fixed to flammable surface

Hi 

I’m am here installing some Ansell led vapourproof fittings shortly. These particular fittings come with a metal clip that fixes to whatever surface you are attaching them to and then the actual fitting clips onto this clip. I intend to fix the mounting clips to a wooden surface but am wondering about heat from the fitting affecting the wooden surface. Obviously the metal clip sets the fitting off the wooden surface by 20mm or so so it is not in direct contact with it. Their technical support said that it should be ok to install like this but I must admit I wasn’t filled with much confidence. There are no markings on the fitting or on their website stating if it is suitable to install on a flammable surface. I don’t want to suspend them on chain as I want to loop in/loop out with conduit and singles. 
what way are others in this group installing these type of fittings?

thanks in advance

Peter

Parents
  • I expect you are thinking of 559.4.1, mounting of luminaires and item (1). As LED domestic (etc) fittings are pretty low power, this does not need any thought as MIke says above, they do not get hot themselves and the infra-red intensity is very low so adjacent surfaces do not get heated either. You could fit then on or close to newspaper and there would be no significant fire risk. In the commercial industrial space discharge lights  (filament ones too but these have nearly ceased to exist) can be a significant risk because they may be powerful and emit significant infra-red radiation. Halogen lamp fittings often has a warning about mounting distances from adjacent surfaces, because they can have very sharp beam focus and a lot of infra-red output (about 80% of the rating). LW infra-red heaters also need to be watched too (the type that only heat people and objects, not the air) as the beamed intensity can be quite high.

  • Thanks for your replies. Yes I remember the old halogen fittings, I think that there was a stipulation that the front surface has to be a certain distance from a flammable surface. With my led vapourproof fittings it was the rear of the fitting which would be closest to the wooden surface that I was concerned about as I noticed from a previous install that after prolonged use it did get quite warm. Obviously not a problem if the fitting was suspended on chain as I mainly did in the past but as I mentioned, I plan to mount them to the wooden joist using the clips supplied with them and then loop in/out with conduit and single stranded cable. I suppose the fact the the fitting is held off the surface slightly by the clip helps also.

    Peter 

Reply
  • Thanks for your replies. Yes I remember the old halogen fittings, I think that there was a stipulation that the front surface has to be a certain distance from a flammable surface. With my led vapourproof fittings it was the rear of the fitting which would be closest to the wooden surface that I was concerned about as I noticed from a previous install that after prolonged use it did get quite warm. Obviously not a problem if the fitting was suspended on chain as I mainly did in the past but as I mentioned, I plan to mount them to the wooden joist using the clips supplied with them and then loop in/out with conduit and single stranded cable. I suppose the fact the the fitting is held off the surface slightly by the clip helps also.

    Peter 

Children
  • Bear in mind that the flash point of wood is in the region of 300 degrees C.  It's not going to ignite by being near something which is merely warm. DNO service heads and cut-out fuses have traditionally been mounted on a wooden panel, and the occasional overload (and thus heating of the main fuse and supply cable) doesn't seem to have burned many houses down over the years!